What crafts do you do? What would you like to learn?

[Serius]

I enjoy working with wood.
Lathe work, making small boxes from native hardwoods, small items of wooden jewellery.

Baking.

I am making a wooden Book of Shadows for my wife with a cover of Sweet Chesnut.


Serius

[Whitemane]

All the handworking skills belonged to my late and much-lamented brother.

The one thing I am good at is cooking, including baking and charcuterie, and I am developing an interest in historical recipes and methods.

One other thing I'd like to learn is calligraphy, largely because my own freehand is so horrible. Maybe one day I'll produce some nice illuminated versions of prayers, chants, and verses.

[StephenThomas]

I'm not so good with my hands. I have tried woodworking and it didn't turn out too well. What I can do is write and tell stories, and make music. What I'd really like to learn is to hone my craft to a better edge and get better at writing lyrics. I do pretty well at the music end of things, but really have to wait on awen to bring me lyrics. That doesn't happen often enough, or I'm not good at hearing.

[Muddy Fox]

I like painting, usually with dark dramatic Acrylic paint. I have got halfway through a faberge styled duck egg, which I was making as a christmas present for my sister. She has asked a few times how it's coming on. And there is an old craft called rag rugging that I once saw demonstrated which I intend to take up. You can recycle bits of old clothes and materials for this which I like. To make a rug, you get a piece of hessian, upholstery type of weave material, and cut up pieces of material into little bits and you have a platic bodger type thing, (that's probably not the technical term), anyway you push the material through the weave to form patterns or designs, on one side of the hessian.
You can make big rugs, with stripes or draw designs onto the hessian and make pictures for wall hangings, they look very unusual and effective and are cheap to make.

[Miiranda]

I'm currently working on a series of tree tapestries for use as seasonal altar cloths. The picture is of my fire tree, a copper beech. I also have oak for earth, willow for water and birch for air.

This tapestry is from a kit so not my own design. I would like to move onto doing my own designs - want to try a wolf and a bear to go on cushions.

Miiranda.

[Whitemane]

Nice work on the copper beech

[Ashtree]

Hi all

I'm new to OBOD and this is my first post to this site. I took up woodturning after I retired from work recently. It was a bit of an adventure because I've never been much good with making things, or doing anything creative. I was an academic for many years, and have never been the most practical of people. I've been doing it now for about one year, and love making bowls, platters, candlesticks and so on. I try to make all my articles from 'rescued' timber - i.e. wood otherwise destined for the fireplace or the skip. It's very satisfying to get to know the qualities of different woods, and to try to create something from material that would just be discarded. I do use some prepared woodturning blanks but ensure (as best I can) that they come from local, renewable sources. I've even sold a few pieces a local festival, but I don't try to make a profit; I just sell things at a price that covers the cost of materials. My bee-keeper friend supplies me with beeswax from his hives in return for homemade wine! I'd be happy to make bowls for ritual purposes if anyone would like me to, for the cost of materials and postage. I'd find it very satisfying to know that someone else would like to use my work in this way. I now really can see the value of learning and practising some form of craft as part of a spiritual discipline.

[Sandibw]

Hello
I make stain glass ware,signs, wall & window art.stain glass planters. business card holders. that is when I get time.

[Dragon]

I like to paint animals particularly tigers. I paint on walls as well as conventional paper.
I would like to learn to paint human forms. Fingers are a nightmare and proportion can be a little out of kelter.

[samurai]

Probably not a craft but I'd love to learn the Harmonica.

[Erithe]

I do illustration, crochet (I'm very good at making weird conch shell hats and not-quite straight scarves), sewing, and graphics arts/book design.

http://erithe.deviantart.com has some of my art-work.

[Ayla]

I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none person I think!
I knit (my favourite being socks) but cannot crochet more than a chain!
I like to make things from felt like flower fairies and gnomes for the season table, dressed wooden bendy dolls and such like.
I have been discovering that I can use my sewing machine more and more for projects such as bags, kids costumes, curtains and my latest project is a fabric book of photos for my son's girlfriends 18th birthday present
I also love to write and enjoy drawing, but would love to be able to paint my drawings instead of just ruining them
I learnt how to make a basket a few years ago at a home education camp and have made several for presents since.

I would love to learn how to make more time for myself to do all these things!!!

I used to love music and singing when i was younger and would also love to find a way to incorporate this into my life again.

[Aphritha]

I've been braiding hemp jewelry lately; it was something I learned at a much younger age and am enjoying again now. I'm also proud to report I've picked up my pencils and sketch pad again. I missed it. I'd like to start sewing again. However, that machine frustrates me so much! I'm thinking of just sucking it up and doing it all by hand....

[Aghaveagh]

There really isn't a hands-on craft that I haven't tried once; but the ones I do on a regular basis are knitting, sewing, embroidery, and writing.

On a not-so-regular basis, I make ATC's, play piano and guitar (both badly), bake and garden. (Do the last two count as crafts?)

I would really love to get more involved with music. I have always wanted to learn violin/fiddle. Also, I've been trying for about 5 months to learn to spin yarn, and I'm horrible at it...but I keep trying.
Secretly I would love to take voice lessons, but I'm afraid that one would get me laughed at by anyone who has heard me sing in the shower.

[Aphritha]

You could take voice lessons in secret, get really good, and then come back and surprise everyone!

[Aghaveagh]

Hahah, that would be a BIG surprise.

[Reyna]

I would love to learn how to knit. I especially want to learn how to make afghans (is that knitting? I think it is). Does anyhow know a really good how-to book? I've looked into classes but they are all pretty far from me.

As for what I can do I am good at watercolors and woodworking though its been years since I've made anything. I'm also a decent cook (but not with cakes, my cakes ALWAYS turn into bricks).

[Aghaveagh]

Reyna,

Afghans are traditionally crochet in my experience, but yes you can very easily knit one. For knitting, I would recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-The-Knitters-Handbook/dp/0761128182, that is the one I taught myself with. Also, there are literally thousands of you tube videos on knitting. There is a website called KnittingHelp.com that is WONDERFUL. The person that runs it puts up videos where she goes very slow and explains everything very well.

I would also recommend joining Ravelry.com. It's a website for knitters/crocheters and other fiber arts enthusiasts. It's a social website, but it has a huge database of patterns--both free that you can download from the site, and patterns that you must either pay for or buy a book/magazine. The pattern database is fantastic. The social aspects will put you in touch with people who can help you learn to either knit or crochet. The site recently reached 2 million members, so if you really want to learn, you will find a ton of help.

(Not affiliated, don't get paid to talk them up...just a satisfied member)

[Erithe]

Reyna,

Afghans are traditionally crochet in my experience, but yes you can very easily knit one. For knitting, I would recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-The-Knitters-Handbook/dp/0761128182, that is the one I taught myself with. Also, there are literally thousands of you tube videos on knitting. There is a website called KnittingHelp.com that is WONDERFUL. The person that runs it puts up videos where she goes very slow and explains everything very well.

I would also recommend joining Ravelry.com. It's a website for knitters/crocheters and other fiber arts enthusiasts. It's a social website, but it has a huge database of patterns--both free that you can download from the site, and patterns that you must either pay for or buy a book/magazine. The pattern database is fantastic. The social aspects will put you in touch with people who can help you learn to either knit or crochet. The site recently reached 2 million members, so if you really want to learn, you will find a ton of help.

(Not affiliated, don't get paid to talk them up...just a satisfied member)

All of this is awesome advice Ravelry is awesome and I taught myself how to make hats by watching YouTube vids.

[GaiasColours]

My main passion is knitting. I also dye yarn/spinning fibre, though not lately, and had a small business (Gaia's Colours Fibre Arts) for a few years. I do spin and weave a little, but the knitting takes most of my time.

And yes, Ravelry.com is awesome!